Experience Level: SOME EXPERIENCE IN BEAR COUNTRY RECOMMENDED- GOOD FOR FAMILIES

(All ratings are based on a 1-5 system. 1=Horrible 5=Amazing)

Pet Friendly:(3) SORT OF – WHILE THE CAMPGROUND ITSELF IS PET FRIENDLY, DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON TRAILS IN NATIONAL PARKS, SO YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO ENJOY ALL SEQUOIA HAS TO OFFER WITH YOUR POOCH

Family Friendly:(4) SURE IS- KIDS LOVE TO SEE GIANT TREES, RIGHT? THE CAMPGROUND DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIAL TO OFFER FOR KIDS, BUT IT IS A NATIONAL PARK WITH LOTS OF FUN SIGHTS TO SEE AND SOME NEARBY CREEKS TO SWIM IN

Cleanliness: (4) IT WAS OKAY. NOT MUCH ELSE TO SAY HERE. NOT THE CLEANEST WE HAVE SEEN BUT VERY ACCEPTABLE.

Noise Level: (4) THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES, BUT OVERALL IT IS NICE AND QUIET AND YOU CAN HEAR NATURE AT NIGHT. THE ONLY REASON IT IS NOT A 5 IS BECAUSE IT IS A PRETTY DENSELY PACKED CAMPGROUND, SO IF YOU HAVE A SPOT CLOSE TO NEIGHBORS YOU CAN PROBABLY HEAR THEM.

Restrooms: (3.5) RESTROOMS WITH FLUSH TOILETS AND RUNNING WATER. THERE WAS ALSO A SEPARATE ADA ACCESSIBLE RESTROOM. DURING 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND THE RESTROOMS DIDN’T STAY SUPER CLEAN THOUGH…

Campsite Space: (3)WE GOT LUCKY! WHEN WE BOOKED THERE WERE ONLY 2 SITES LEFT TO PICK FROM, AND I THINK WE GOT ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST PRIVATE SPOTS IN THE CAMPGROUND. THAT BEING SAID, BASED ON SEEING ALL OF THE OTHER HUNDREDS OF SPOTS, MOST SPOTS WERE ON THE SMALLER SIDE AND CLOSE TO NEIGHBORS. IF YOU WANT A GOOD SPOT, LOOK FOR SITE 10.

CAMPSITE 10 HAD PLENTY OF ROOM FOR OUR 2 TENTS PLUS IT WAS FAR FROM NEIGHBORS

Shade/Sun: (4) CONSIDERING IT IS IN A NATIONAL PARK KNOWN FOR ITS LARGE TREES, THIS CAMPGROUND HAD MORE SHADE TO OFFER THAN MOST CAMPGROUNDS. OF COURSE, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHICH SPOT YOU PICK THOUGH. OVERALL, GOOD SHADE.

Ground: (3) DIRT & WEEDS – SOME SLOPE, BUT FLAT AREAS FOR TENTS

Bugs/Critters/Wildlife: (3)TYPICAL SIERRAS – THERE CAN BE SOME MOSQUITOES, AND OTHER CREEPY CRAWLERS. THIS IS ALSO PRIME BEAR COUNTRY SO USE THE LOCKERS! WE ALSO HAD A DEER WONDER THROUGH OUR SITE.

Amenities:

FLUSH TOILETS

ADA ACCESSIBLE RESTROOM

FIRE PITS WITH GRILL

WOODENPICNIC BENCHES – A LITTLE ON THE WORN SIDE

GREAT HIKING TRAIL FROM CAMPGROUND (MUIR GROVE)

INSIDE THE NATIONAL PARK!

2 SHUTTLE STOPS INSIDE THE CAMPGROUND TO PICK YOU UP AND TAKE YOU TO ALL THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS IN THE PARK

MUIR GROVE TRAIL HEAD IS IN THE CAMPGROUND. AN AWESOME, FLAT 5 MILE R/T HIKE WITH ONE OF THE BEST SEQUOIA GROVES TO REWARD YOU

Comments from the “Chix”

Our overall impression was that this was a beautiful campground with its big draw being that is is actually inside the National Park. There are lots of gorgeous trees and plenty of opportunities to see wildlife. There are some nice amenities like the shuttle and flush toilets, however the campground is huge and densely packed. But, a great place to stay in the park. One thing that we really enjoyed was collecting our own firewood. Any dead wood on the ground is allowed to be collected and burned in the fire pits. That meant some great sequoia on pine and it was easy to find. That saved us like $12 and the wood burned nicely.

Pros: The biggest pro is the location, you cannot beat it. Being in the National Park is great and you can leave your car at your campsite and take the shuttle to crowded places like General Sherman. All of the nice amenities were there, like fire pits, picnic tables, bear lockers and flush toilets. The staff were also very friendly and helpful in recommending some great hikes. Speaking of which, the trail head to Muir Grove is in the back of the campground. That was a really nice and rewarding hike. The campground also had nice shade.

Cons: It can get really crowded. We were here the busiest weekend of the year (4th of July) and the campground was full. It is densely packed and some spots are small or just really close to a lot of neighbors. There are some great spots though, like site 10! Also, the evil mosquitoes got us, so bring bug spray!

Now that is how you cook an American feast! Celebrating America through campfire food!

Tips: Bring bug spray and use the bear lockers! Seriously, bears are known to go though this campground a lot in late Spring/early Summer. Also, bring a tablecloth for the older wooden bench.

Another fun tip, there are a lot of “walk-up” sites. However, we noticed the parking for them was very close and these spots were mostly pretty nice. Don’t be afraid of these pots as long as you can haul your stuff 100 feet. These sites don’t book as fast, so it might be your opportunity to get to stay here on a prime weekend.